22.4 Selecting an Input Method

C-\

Enable or disable use of the selected input method (toggle-input-method).

C-x RET C-\ methodRET

Select a new input method for the current buffer (set-input-method).

C-h I methodRET

C-h C-\ methodRET

Describe the input method method (describe-input-method).
By default, it describes the current input method (if any). This
description should give you the full details of how to use any
particular input method.

M-x list-input-methods

Display a list of all the supported input methods.

To choose an input method for the current buffer, use C-x
RET C-\ (set-input-method). This command reads the
input method name from the minibuffer; the name normally starts with the
language environment that it is meant to be used with. The variable
current-input-method records which input method is selected.

Input methods use various sequences of ASCII characters to
stand for non-ASCII characters. Sometimes it is useful to
turn off the input method temporarily. To do this, type C-\
(toggle-input-method). To reenable the input method, type
C-\ again.

If you type C-\ and you have not yet selected an input method,
it prompts you to specify one. This has the same effect as using
C-x RET C-\ to specify an input method.

When invoked with a numeric argument, as in C-u C-\,
toggle-input-method always prompts you for an input method,
suggesting the most recently selected one as the default.

Selecting a language environment specifies a default input method for
use in various buffers. When you have a default input method, you can
select it in the current buffer by typing C-\. The variable
default-input-method specifies the default input method
(nil means there is none).

In some language environments, which support several different input
methods, you might want to use an input method different from the
default chosen by set-language-environment. You can instruct
Emacs to select a different default input method for a certain
language environment, if you wish, by using
set-language-environment-hook (see set-language-environment-hook). For example:

This automatically activates the input method “german-prefix” in
Text mode.

Some input methods for alphabetic scripts work by (in effect)
remapping the keyboard to emulate various keyboard layouts commonly used
for those scripts. How to do this remapping properly depends on your
actual keyboard layout. To specify which layout your keyboard has, use
the command M-x quail-set-keyboard-layout.

You can use the command M-x quail-show-key to show what key (or
key sequence) to type in order to input the character following point,
using the selected keyboard layout. The command C-u C-x = also
shows that information, in addition to other information about the
character.

M-x list-input-methods displays a list of all the supported
input methods. The list gives information about each input method,
including the string that stands for it in the mode line.